First Meetings
by odalys-ortiz
Summary: How would have things turned out if Carter and Reese's little game went on just a bit longer? Take's place after Get Carter and is slightly AU. #CareeseIsEternal
1. Masquerade Ball

Disclaimer: Anything you recognize does not belong to me.

_Pre A/N: I've never done author's notes before a story but I just wanted to explain the origins of this two parter. So this story came about after chatting with ASomberCareese in the chatroom one day. She had expressed how she felt as though the Reese/Carter introduction was rushed and wanted to see them play a bit more cat and mouse. I understand that the reason for this was because CBS wanted to bring the demo which is why Carter was brought into the team so early but it made for an interesting idea. After getting some ideas from her and of course SWWoman for betaing this, I present this. Hope you enjoy;)_

* * *

Chapter 1 - Masquerade Ball

"Is everything in order Mr. Reese?"

As John took a small sip of Bourbon, his eyes scanned the field of decorative masks in front of him. This charity masquerade was sponsored by his current number who made himself easy to keep track of with his unusually colored masks. Instead of the traditional gold or white normally associated with masquerade balls, he decided to go for a more green tone. It helped immensely in that John wouldn't lose him despite the huge crowd. "Other than looking proud of himself, nothing seems out of the ordinary. How about you Finch?"

While John monitored the lower floor, Harold hacked into the security system and gained access to all of their cameras. "Everything appears to be quiet upstairs as well." Taking a sip of tea, he used the joystick to maneuver the lens for a better view. There were businessmen discussing this and that with their wives in the foreground looking less than happy with attending. As his eyes moved towards the cameras posted at the entrance, Harold saw something that grabbed his attention. After following the new attendee for a few minutes, his suspicions were confirmed as to the identity. "Mr. Reese, it appears that we have a problem."

"Have the hit men shown up?" John was beginning to shift to protection mode.

"Not exactly, it appears that a young woman has come late to the event and causing quite a commotion."

John again went on alert for a whole new set of reasons and was just about to ask Finch where she was when he noticed a group of men shift their attention to the stairs off to the side. Hurryingly slipping through the bodies, John positioned himself along with the crowd to see what the fuss was about.

The sight before him left him speechless for the first time in his life.

* * *

_Two days ago_

_Joss went into work as she had every day for the past few years; however this day was different. When she approached her desk, she noticed a large white box with a blue ribbon wrapped around it. She took it in her hands and began examining it, looking for any clue as to who it was from. This caught the attention of her partner Fusco who had been doing some paper work._

"_Hey Carter, got a secret admirer or something?" He teased as he watched the bewildered expression on her face._

"_Not that I know of." Joss sat down and began to untie the ribbon. Once she slipped it free, she lifted the lid and her eyes widened at the black Armani wrapping paper. Slowly pulling it back, she saw something sparkling back at her. Joss began looking around hoping to catch a glimpse of who had left such an expensive gift. "Did you happen to see who dropped this off?" _

_Fusco shook his head. "I just got back from talking with my CI and it was already sitting there. Whoever this guy is, he's got expensive taste. My wife asked me for scarf from them for our anniversary. It took me a month's salary to get the damn thing." _

"_Thanks anyway." Just then, her phone rang. She suspected that the caller was the one responsible for the very generous gift. Joss pulled the receiver up to her ear. No greeting was offered to the man on the other end. "You just think that you are so clever, don't you?" Joss asked as she looked down at the open package._

"_Detective, I only suggest that if you really wish to speak with me face to face that you attend this event. The directions are underneath the dress." He knew that she was growing tired of not knowing what he looked like but it just added to the fun, at least for him. To watch her from afar had been quite the learning experience. But this would have been out of her element. Jocelyn Carter was a reserved woman that only took time to enjoy herself in the company of friends or her son._

_Despite the fact he watched her constantly, John only ever saw her in her work uniform that consisted of black slacks that hid her hourglass figure and a variety of colored blouses that did her no justice either by hiding her beautiful, dark skin. Even though John kept her under constant surveillance, he had refrained from breaking into her home to plant bugs and cameras. That was her sanctuary and he wouldn't intrude on it…yet._

_Joss had continued with her conversations with the Man in a Suit even though she had made a promise to put the mysterious vigilante behind bars. Her moral compass was screaming at her for continuing to even associate with this criminal to the point that he had somehow acquired her cell phone number to continue the back and forth that had started when she finally contacted him with the walkie talkie a few weeks ago. She wasn't a fool because Joss knew that with the kind of training this guy had, it would be difficult to pinpoint his location unless he wanted to be found._

_That was why she was taken aback by the challenge that was presented before her. Finally she could have a moment with her vigilante but it was a double edged sword kind of deal. He would allow her to talk to him but only in disguise at this charity event that was being held on the other side of town. There was no way that she could do something like that._

"_Good night Joss." His voice was but a whisper when he uttered her name before hanging up the phone._

* * *

The vision standing before him was something to behold. These other men were completely smitten with this mysterious woman. However the woman's attire gave way to the real identity of the person underneath the silver mask that covered her eyes. He recognized it as the dress that he'd had delivered to Carter's office, challenging her to come here with the simple intent of just speaking face to face.

Her hand took hold of the railing and there was a noticeable sway to her lips when she began her decent. Part of the dress was pulled up in her fingers to keep it from getting in the way of her six inch stiletto heels that echoed off the tile floor. John's gaze moved further up, admiring the view of her legs that the slit in the black dress offered. The train of fabric flowed behind her, gliding down along with her. The middle of the gown glittered with the assortment of silver jewelry arranged in a floral design that hugged her hips, accentuating the often hidden curves she possessed. It also dipped low in the front, offering a generous view of her cleavage. Her neck was left bare, the only accessory being a pair of simple silver hoop earrings. She had taken the time to pull up the tresses of her hair into a sophisticated bun, leaving a few strands to frame her face. Her lips were a sinful shade of blood red with her large brown eyes encompassed in eye shadow.

John was smitten with her beauty in an instant. It was a reaction he hadn't expected. Following her for so long, he had felt like he knew more about Jocelyn Carter than he knew about himself. The woman in front of him was radiant and yet still held a bit of modesty. Through her mask, John could see her eyes moving back and forth across the floor with urgency. It was a pleasant surprise that she had accepted his challenge but John stayed back to observe.

When Joss reached the lower landing, three potential suitors approached her and began bombarding her with questions. Despite being uncomfortable, Joss remained composed as she politely rejected the men's advances. Nerves were still racking her body and her brain was asking her what in the world she was doing here. Feeling so feminine was an out of the ordinary thing for her because of her occupation and Joss also felt a bit overwhelmed. The dress that her mysterious stalker delivered to her was beyond gorgeous and she was highly suspicious as to how he knew her exact size. For now, she would push those worries aside and focus on making this man keep his promise to meet her. There were countless faces looking back at her but their identities were cleverly hidden.

She knew that hiding her identity would help with the meeting. It was bad enough that he knew exactly how to avoid a tricky situation. If there was so much as a wire, he wouldn't show, so Joss had to go at it alone.

The hair on the back of her neck was standing up. He was close by but she didn't recognize anyone that fit his description. Joss did see that his eyes were on her at the moment, adding to the discomfort she felt earlier. These people probably could tell just by looking that she made a middle income salary and now she was worried that she would be confronted before she could meet her stranger.

It was then that she heard his voice close to her ear. "I have to say that for someone who doesn't go out often, you sure draw quite a crowd Detective." Joss had to fight the shiver that ran through her body as his hoarse voice tickled her ear.

Composing herself, Joss slowly turned around. She was taken aback by how much she had to lean her head up, the man towering over her. "Well this isn't exactly my type of party but I got an impromptu invite." The mask was framing his blue eyes that appeared to sparkle at the comment before he smiled at her.

"I do have to make sure that you don't try to keep your promise and put me in jail since I'm also working right now." John's focus momentarily went back to his number who was across the room speaking with an associate. "How about a drink?" His hand hovered above her back to direct her towards the catering table. The dress left her back bare, stopping just above her hip. John was careful not to touch her for fear that once he did, he wouldn't want to stop.

Even though this man was a criminal, Joss found that she was comfortable in his presence. There were no the judging stares or disgusted comments. He just saw her. While being escorted, Joss noticed a large open room off to the side where most of the party attendees were. There was also a large stage. She figured it was meant to host some kind of charity auction later in the night.

They paused underneath an archway where numerous tables covered with silk sheets and expensive silver lay. The catering table that they reached held a banquet of exotic meals appropriate for the type and amount of people that were being hosted tonight. John watched Joss as she debated what to pick. "Maybe if you are nice to me tonight, I could treat you."

"Funny." She then turned her body towards him, placing a hand on her hip. "So what do you go by? Maybe Man in a Tux suits you better" she joked before expression turned serious again. "I looked up you prints and got so many alias back that I lost count. Who are you?" Now she was getting into interrogator mode. Joss had her man in front of her and she was going to make it count.

Much to her surprise, he took her hand. "You can just call me John." He then pressed his lips to her knuckles. Even though she was shocked at his actions, Joss didn't pull away. If it was another guy, he would have gotten a shot to the groin and a good night. John didn't give her any bad vibes though. It was the same like back when Joss had first interrogated him.

"Well John, it's good to see you doing well except for the all the vigilante annoyance you're causing me."

She then grabbed a flute of champagne that was on a silver tray and took a small sip. "So why be a vigilante? With the kind of background you had, there were other things out there like being an police officer."

John shrugged before picking up another flute and taking a drink from it. "I doubt that kind of career offers the kind of excitement this one does. Besides, this pays well enough that I can get through each day."

Joss's eyes drifted up and down to give him a closer examination. "You do look better. I'm guessing that you've stopped drinking." He nodded. The two of them then began to walk around the room. "I'm glad. As weird as it sounds, I did wonder if you were alright. Still why meet in a place like this to talk? I know that you have to watch your back but really" she tugged a bit at the dress. "This is out of my league."

"You looked pretty confident when you came in here. What happened? Don't do parties?"

"No" Joss angered, growing annoyed at the smirk on John's face. "I especially don't do parties when I'm surrounded by the most snobbish people in our society."

"Well this party will probably be ending soon." He saw his number heading towards the dance floor with his wife. Without waiting a beat, he asked "Would you like to dance?"

Joss had to cover her mouth to keep from spitting the champagne in his face. "This is not a social call between us. I want some answers."

"I know that. As I've said, I'm currently working and right now I need to make my way to the dance floor and it would draw too much attention if I went alone." He saw that she was still hesitant to go. "You do know how to dance, don't you Detective?"

"Of course I do, it's just that…" Joss tried to come up with some excuse to not be pressed close to this man. It was already bad enough that a mere whisper had her body shiver in desire for more. She then turned her head defiantly. "You know what, I don't have to answer to you."

John then held out his hand. She eyed him warily, weighing the pros and cons once again. Sighing in defeat, Joss finally gave in and took his hand, noticing how large it was compared to hers. The two of them slowly walked towards the ballroom. As they passed a few people who were deep in conversation, their eyes began watching the two of them.

The classical music was heard throughout the large room as many of the guests danced the night away. Joss began feeling nervous despite herself but to her surprise, John offered her hand a squeeze to calm her down. How did he know exactly what she was feeling? It was amazing that he had become so in tune with her in such a short period of time.

Joss calmed down as they approached the dance floor. A few couples closest to them parted to let them through and John noticed the surprise on their face. He couldn't stop the smile on his face, as he realized he was about to dance with the most beautiful woman at the party.

They just reached the middle of the hardwood floor just as another slow song began playing. Without hesitating, John's hand tugged on Joss's to bring her closer to him until she was at a comfortable arms length distance. He then took his free hand and helped wrap hers around his neck before placing his on her hips. As soon as he did this, John watched her eyes darting back and forth before she took a deep breath.

Their bodies slowly but surely began swaying back and forth in time with the music. Joss had to get her focus back on the task at hand and that was to figure out everything about this man's motives. "So what is it that you actually do when you are breaking the law John?" Her voice was just loud enough for him to hear.

The dancers around them disappeared and suddenly it was just the two of them gliding together as if they had done this all of their lives. Why did it feel so right for her just to be around this guy, a criminal? Joss must have lost more than her sanity tonight. She was out of her element tonight and the man towering above her was her only anchor.

"I offer my assistance here and there" John answered vaguely.

Joss was spun out and pulled back into his arms. "So you are one of those vigilantes huh?"

"Well I haven't exactly left you any presents that didn't have a pulse Detective. I take good care to make sure they are delivered to you alive."

"That's what they all say." Joss looked him straight in his eyes for the first time since they started dancing. "Vigilantes say that they are just trying to help but then the power goes to their heads. Eventually they think that they are above the law and can do what they damn well please. What's make you any different?"

John didn't answer right away. Instead he brought her body just a bit closer. She could see the sincerity behind the mask. "All I want to do is make up for all of the bad I've done in the world." The hand on her hip flinched ever so slightly.

He spun her in circles with his left hand, the bottom of the dress lifting ever so slightly with the movement. Joss was worried that the long train would accidentally wrap around her and trip her up. Before something happened, John wrapped his arm around her waist and dipped her to the floor. The song had ended and clapping reached their ears. When Joss was straightened up, they looked around to find that the other dancers had stood back and watched the two of them. They hadn't even noticed, too enthralled with each other to care.

Taking a small bow before making an exit just off the floor, John saw that his number went back to entertaining his guest. The night was almost over and he knew if the hit was going to happen, it had to be now. But before making his exit, he had to thank her for the interesting evening. Taking her hand again, he gave it a kiss just as he had before. Instead of letting go, her grip remained strong. "You know that you won't escape me. Tonight is the night that I finally catch you."

John could see the determination in those stunning brown eyes behind her mask. He smiled before answering "I'm looking forward to seeing you try Detective."

Joss's was distracted for a second when the two of them heard something break on the other side of the room. That was all the time John needed as he quickly disappeared into the crowd behind him.

Finch spoke up for the first time since John had seen Carter. "I'm glad that you are having fun with Detective Carter but let's try to stay on mission here please Mr. Reese."

John smiled as he approached the stairs. "I am on a mission here Finch. I have everything under control." As if on cue, he spotted two men dressed in black on the upper landing running towards the number's office. "Well I had things under control." He then went to work.

* * *

Joss was annoyed. Even though she was handed the culprits in the attempted murder of the charity's host, she had lost her Man in a Suit once again. She couldn't believe how fast he moved when she had only looked away for a second. There was also a hint of disappointment that their night together was cut short. She suspected that John gave her the perps as a way of apologizing for their evening getting cut short, but she quickly ruled out that farfetched theory.

Something that he said to her earlier was still haunting her. When she asked about his motives, all John told her was that he wanted to repent for all of the bad that he had done. Joss had gotten little information from his time in the CIA. The defeated tone in his voice when he made that one statement made her wonder if it was not what he thought it would be.

Looking around as the people were finally allowed to leave after the crime scene in the office was processed, Joss couldn't help but wonder when their next encounter would be.

* * *

From afar, John watched the striking woman that had made it her mission to arrest him. He hadn't expected her tonight but her appearance had made the evening more pleasant. The drive to learn more about her was still there, tonight was just a taste.

She still had all the intentions in the world to arrest him. The slip he gave her tonight irritated her and that meant Carter would work even harder now that she was so close. He didn't mind the challenge. She had intrigued him since their first meeting and John suspected that she would continue to surprise him if he kept playing the cat and mouse game that was theirs and theirs alone.

With a silent goodbye, he disappeared into the night.

* * *

Post A/N: As you may have noticed by the title, this is only the first chapter. This story is two parts and I will post the second tomorrow. Again thanks to ASomberCareese for the prompt and SWWoman for the beta. Have a very sweet Valentine's Day everyone and may you indulge your sweet tooth.


	2. The Cabin

Disclaimer: Nothing belongs to me. If it did, John and Joss would still be together on the show.

_Pre A/N: Okay so this is where the slightly A/U part comes in. This chapter is basically a recreation of Number Crunch with a few minor changes including the fact that John's identity is still hidden. It was a suggestion by ASomberCareese to show John and Joss connection further. Enjoy._

* * *

Chapter 2 - The Cabin

John watched as the two sisters scurried away to the car he had provided them. After disabling the would-be murders, they had tried to offer him the money as compensation for his help. He refused of course; they would need it to start fixing things and living their lives.

The wind began to pick up, dropping the temperature even further. It didn't bother John. All his military training taught him how to take the right precautions to steel himself against the elements. The ski mask he was wearing to hide himself from the perpetrators would protect him as well. With another number saved, he was ready to head home and get some sleep.

As he took a few steps towards the deserted road, John saw lights coming from behind him followed by loud crunching. He saw a black SUV coming towards him and stopped in his tracks when he recognized the driver.

His old employer Mark Snow exited with an evil smile gracing his lips. The opening of the passenger's side door caught his attention and when he saw who the occupant was, he grew angry. Detective Joss Carter pulled her coat closer to herself as she approached the front of the car. John was upset that Snow would stoop so low as to use her morals to his advantage. Using underhanded methods such as that was something he had come to hate during his time in the CIA.

Even in the darkness, John couldn't help but notice how much more beautiful she was without the help of make-up. He had to shake those thoughts away as he tried to figure a way out of his current situation.

"Hello John" Snow greeted him with false sincerity.

He remained careful. "Mark."

Joss looked at the two men as they exchanged greetings, unsure of what she had done. When she recognized the other man's voice, she was taken aback that it was the stranger who she had grown fascinated with in the last few months. This couldn't be the monster that Snow warned her about. What had she done?

"I would have thought you would have had a cabin in the woods somewhere, Montana maybe." The tension was so thick. Even with the temperatures continuing to drop, neither man was ready to make the first move.

"What do you want Mark?" His eyes once again drifted to Carter. He could see the turmoil that she was going through on her expressive face. No, he couldn't be angry at her trying to do what she thought was the right thing. It was just who she was and he wouldn't fault her for that.

"It's time to come home John." Joss looked over at Mark's smug face. It could only mean one thing, the real reason why the CIA was so adamant with finding him. They tricked her. John knew something about his bosses that they didn't want to risk getting out to the public. Mark wasn't planning on taking him alive.

"You know that will never happen." John made a small move to reach for the pistol that was hidden in the waistband of his slacks. The only thing that was hampering his escape was the headlights of the cars. If he could take them out, the cover of darkness would provide him the exit he need.

The next events happened in a flash. Evans's silenced bullet dug into John's side. He grunted and just as he fell to the ground, he pulled out his pistol. He began unloading rounds into the head lights while being careful not to hit Carter. One bulb exploded but before he could successfully take out the other one, another bullet ripped through his leg. John had to bite back the immense pain as the second light was destroyed. The forest was now his advantage as he struggled to push himself off the ground and make his way out of sight.

Disoriented by sudden darkness and unexpected gunshots, Joss peeked out from the cover of the car door. When she looked over at Snow, she could see that he was upset that John had managed to escape. She felt a confusing mix of emotions at that moment, the main one being the obvious guilt over setting up her mysterious vigilante. As the snow began to pick up, Joss noticed a faint trail of footprints escaping into a heavy wooded area.

Knowing that it was only a matter of time before the falling snow would cover his tracks, Joss crouched from Snow's view and began to give chase. Because of her military training in adapting to the environment, the dark didn't pose a problem to her either. Her police issued pistol was tightly clutched in her hands as she pushed through the trees, following the quickly fading trail.

Her thoughts went back to their meeting at the masquerade party. John didn't seem like the dangerous type then either. Despite the fact that their identities were kept a secret, she still felt completely safe in his presence, especially in his arms when they danced. John was someone that she could relate to, possibly more than any man she'd ever known, including her ex-husband Paul.

Now he could die if she didn't find him and get him some help.

* * *

The cold air was slowing down the bleeding but it was also making it hard for John to move. Adrenaline was the only thing keeping him going as far as he did. He felt awful for leaving Joss behind. If he hadn't been shot, John would have grabbed her and got Carter the hell out of Snow's clutches.

A few feet more of crunching snow and the adrenaline wore off, forcing him to lean against a tree. It was growing darker as his vision began to blur. The hand that was forced up against the bullet hole was drenched in his blood. The snow beneath him was stained red with each drip.

Even through his haze, John thought he heard approaching footsteps. He tightened his grip on the 9mm pistol in his hand.

"Freeze!" Yelled the voice closing in. John couldn't stop the smile from breaking on his face when he recognized the owner.

Even in his current state, he had to be a smartass. "That's a bit harsh, don't you think Detective."

* * *

Relief flowed through her body as she replaced the pistol in her holster before rushing to the body that was leaning against the tree. Joss had to fight the feeling of disgust when she saw the pile of red snow just under John. When she was within reach, Joss put a hand to his shoulder as she maneuvered to John's front. She wanted to get a better look at his injuries. "How are you feeling?" Without waiting for an answer, Joss draped one of John's arms over her shoulders and tried to take his weight. "We've got to get out of here. Snow is going to find you soon enough." Joss pulled until he was back in a standing position.

John grunted as the action irritated his injuries. "Yeah, he's a persistent bastard that's for sure." If she looked under the ski mask, Carter would have seen that he was smiling.

The wind began picking up speed and as he looked at the woman next to him, he saw that she was ill prepared for the environment with her thin jacket. John wanted to tell her to forget about him and to get herself someplace warm but he knew that she wouldn't listen. Her stubbornness matched his own.

After a few feet of dragging John, Joss saw something in the distance. Getting closer, she saw a log cabin. "Thank god" she uttered as she looked over at John. Even though she felt that he was keeping his weight off of her, his eyes were closed. She panicked and began to shake him. "Hey, don't go to sleep. We're almost to shelter." When he didn't answer, Joss tried to hurry faster. Looking at the darkened windows, she could only hope that someone wasn't home because she didn't have time to play twenty questions.

Reaching the front porch, she quickly knocked on the door. "Hello? Is anyone there?" When she didn't get an answer, Joss pulled her hand inside the jacket's sleeves before punching through the glass so she could reach in and unlock the door. She opened the door and before heading inside, checked behind her to make sure they weren't followed. Her body was beginning to grow tired from having to carry twice her body weight but she knew she had to keep going. "How are you holding up?"

John had been quiet since she had found him. "I'm just peachy" he whispered, his eyes still closed. It was good that at least he was still talking. She could not let him sleep until she had tended his wounds

Inside, there was a small entryway that included some tables with vases of flowers and portraits. Joss's eyes scanned each room she passed. The first one was a small kitchen that looked to be properly stocked. Another area had a fireplace with a few couches surrounding it. Joss steered John over the short distance before carefully dropping him on the couch closest to the fireplace. When he sank into the cushions, John groaned as he adjusted his body to be in a more comfortable position. She worked out the crick in her neck from carrying him before starting a fire. Looking back to John, Joss began shaking him by the shoulders because his eyes were still closed. "Hey, hey." Grabbing his attention was getting harder. "I'm going to take off your coat okay?"

"Aren't you going to take me out to dinner first Detective?" Joss rolled her eyes because even though John had two holes in him, he had to tease her.

Her jacket came off and was then tossed haphazardly in the corner of the couch. She unbuttoned the sleeves of her blouse before rolling them up to her elbows. "Like I don't feel bad enough. I know it was a joke but still…"

"It wasn't your fault" John tried to reassure her as she looked around the room. There were no family photos or really personal decorations, just a few more swap meet pictures and some antlers over the fireplace.

Joss could only hope that the place was stocked with a medical kit or John was going to be in real trouble. "I'm going to get you some water and see if I can find a first aid kit okay?" John just nodded his head and she went in the direction of the kitchen that they passed. Everything was clean and in its place just like the living room. Joss wondered if the place was up for sale or something because it really seemed like no one was living here. Realizing that wasn't important, she looked in the upper cabinets and found some glasses to get him something to drink.

Under the sink, Joss found a white basin that she would use to help clean up the blood. It was filled with lukewarm water and she threw in a dishtowel. Having quite a bit to carry, she first took the drink to John. Making her way back at to him, he appeared to still be awake but fighting a losing battle. She walked up and gave him the drink. "Here you go."

John took the water gratefully and drank the whole thing in one large gulp. "Thanks." He then returned it to her.

"No problem." Joss then thought about her next move. The coat and shirt had to come off but she would have to do the deed herself. She pushed the coffee table over after putting the cup on top of it to give her some room. Before reaching for the first button, she lifted a finger so he would see. "Not a word okay?" There was no doubt that John was a human dictionary of clever comments. When he nodded, Joss eased his upper body up as she slipped her hands into the sleeve pockets to push down until it pulled around his waist.

Joss's eyes widen at the sight of blood that completely soaked through his shirt. There was a moment where she questioned how she would be able to do this without making things worse. Back in the army, she used to interrogate high profile prisoners. Joss only got basic medical training that would come in handy when it came to handling cuts and bruises but not something as severe as gunshot wounds.

John groaned when he noticed the painful look in her eyes at the sight of his injuries. This wasn't her fault. He caught her off guard by grabbing her hand and giving it a squeeze before pulling away. That small touch brought back memories of their dance together, the unknown feelings brewing between them.

Unable to address what it was just yet, Joss slowly pulled her hand from him. "Once I see how bad it is, I'll see what I can do to patch you up."

"The bullets went clean through. If you bandage me up…" he took a quick intake of air. "I should be alright."

"You're lying" she countered. John was trying to spare her the grief of fixing him up. "All that blood won't just go away John." Instead of arguing, Joss went to the bathroom. She was annoyed by the fact that John was making light of the situation. First things first though, she had to clean the wounds so Joss detoured back into the kitchen to get the basin and towel that she left behind. When she came back to the living room, Joss could see through the dim glow from the fire that John wasn't moving. She quickly put the basin on top of the table. "John?"

Not getting a response, she slowly approached him. She wanted to get a better look at him but the mask was in the way. For the first time in a long time, she was afraid. If John died because of her, she would never forgive herself. Reaching to his wrist, she wrapped her index and middle finger around the pulse point and was relieved to feel his heart beating strong. The hand then inched its way up his arm, hoping to remove the mask to give her a glance at the man that had managed to sweep her off her feet. Joss was right at the bottom of his neck with her fingers twitching in anticipation over the reveal.

Her thumb and index finger tugged on the mask slightly before Joss sighed and pulled away. Even though she was extremely curious and John was at his most vulnerable right now, her morals wouldn't let her take advantage of the situation. Something inside told her that this would not be their last meeting and she needed to patch him up so she could look forward to the next. Joss lowered her eyes to the floor in an effort to keep her focus on the task at hand. She needed to get his dress shirt off to get to the wounds. She leaned forward again and tugged it from the waistband of his pants before Joss began unbuttoning it. Every bit of skin that she exposed had Joss sucking in a breath. Even though John was slightly older than her, he had taken care of himself.

John's chest was flat and there were taut muscles in his arms and stomach. Joss didn't want to admit it but she was impressed. It wasn't something that she normally cared about when it came to men but she couldn't help but appreciate that he still took the time to take care of himself. Another thing that caught her eye were the faint scars that were all over him. They looked to be a combination of knife and bullet wounds.

Reaching the last button and undoing it, Joss finally got a good look at the wound and breathed a sigh of relief that the cold air outside seemed to have slowed the bleeding down to a crawl. She made the hole in his slacks bigger and saw the same from the second wound. There was still no way she would be able to stitch everything up herself.

John was right. The best idea would be to bandage it up until he could get back into the city for proper care. She pushed back until she was on her knees then turned her body so that she could grab the basin and put it on the floor next to her. The dish towel was soaked inside the warm water then Joss wrung out the excess. Looking up to his face again, she tenderly brushed it against the wound. As soon as she made contact, John's stomach flinched involuntarily. Even though Joss knew he wasn't dead, it was still a relief to see him move.

With every swipe of the towel, the water took on more of the red tinge from his blood. As the wound finally became clearer, Joss brushed it with her fingertips, again causing John to flinch. Just as John said, the bullets went clean through so she wouldn't have to worry about retrieving it. She didn't know how long she took but she was finally finished with the first part of her job. Now she just needed to cover the hole so that he could get it stitched later.

Leaving his side again, Joss first emptied the basin before washing her hands. Once again, she refilled it with lukewarm water and brought it back to the living room before going to the bathroom. Joss first looked in the medicine cabinet. Much to her dismay, it was empty. There wasn't even a prescription bottle of some kind. She moved to the bottom of the marble sink and opened the cabinet doors there. In front of her were a couple of cleaning products for the toilet. Pushing the bottles to the side, Joss saw the familiar white box with a red cross towards the back.

An overwhelming sense of accomplishment filled her as she retrieved the first aid kid then rushed back to John. "Looks like there's enough bandages here to prevent any more bleeding," she commented to him when Joss returned as she looked inside the box. There were gauze, linen, alcohol, scissors, bandages, and disinfectant. Joss went through the process of cleaning the wound again, this time with the alcohol to prevent any possible infection.

John flinched again but still didn't wake up. Putting protection on the wounds was the easiest part of the whole ordeal. Joss was relieved for the reprieve. She was exhausted and all she wanted to do was head home and fall into bed.

The gauze pads were positioned first before Joss taped them into place. After deeming her work satisfactory, she leaned up against the side of the arm chair. She was happy to finally be able to treat the wounds. Maybe she would just rest her eyes. When John was conscious again, she would be sure to get answers out of him.

* * *

Joss didn't know how much time had passed since she brought John Reese to this cabin in the woods. The first thing she heard was the crackling of the fire. She groaned a bit as she began moving her body. Joss was quick to notice however that she was no longer in a sitting position. When she opened her eyes, she found herself on her back lying on top of the couch that sat across the now empty arm chair.

Reminded of the night's events, Joss quickly stood up to look for John. Calling out his name as she searched the kitchen, bathroom and closet, she found that she was all alone. Defeated, Joss returned to the living room and dropped down on the couch again. In her haste to find John, she had failed to notice the small piece of paper left in his place.

Joss slowly approached the note, as if the wrong move would cause it to disappear into oblivion. She picked it up and read it.

_Detective, I must thank you for tending to my wounds. Even though it's not exactly a proper goodbye, I have to leave you to make sure that you are safe tonight. I know that Snow will confront you about what happened but I also know that you are more than capable of taking care of yourself._

Joss found herself blushing unexpectedly at this comment.

_On the table near the front door, I left you a set of keys to a car that will be delivered to you. You can use that to make it back to the city. _

_I'll call you soon._

_John_

It felt like the weight of guilt was slowly lifting off her shoulders as she reread the note. Even though she was saddened by the fact that he had left while she was asleep, at least he was safe. Snow would have moved from here hours ago to continue his search for John.

Joss grabbed her coat and just like he said, there were keys on the table by the front door. Her vigilante had escaped again and she still had no idea what he looked like.

This wouldn't be their last meeting. Just maybe when she saw him again, she would finally see his face.

* * *

Post A/N: So yes, this was only a two parter. I'm apologize that this isn't really a Valentine's Day story but I just couldn't seem to come up with one. Thanks again to ASomberCareese for the prompt and list of ideas along with SWWoman for the beta of course.


	3. Face to Face

Disclaimer: Not mine. Belongs to CBS and familiar characters belong to CBS

_Pre A/N: This showing is going downhill each time they air an episode. The latest casuality is John's character. Not only did he have no involvement with Finch's plan and was stuck with a number who was apparently suppose to be original Zoe, but now the show feels they need to throw another stupid shipper with him and the therapist so that means no more John backstory. It's annoying how people continue to ignore Reese/Carter's kiss like it never happened or come up with half ass excuses. People need to get their shit straight. I was happy waiting the 2 1/2 years to see something happen even though the showrunners said romance wasn't something they wanted to do. What a joke that statement is. Another joke is the constant censorship of criticism for episodes that honestly were poor. Karma received terrible numbers and in S4, that's unacceptable. There have been plenty of people that have given lengthy reasons to validate their problems. Trolls don't take the time to explain their complaints. Recently Ask Matt on TV Insider surprisingly answered a question I posted to him about the storyline and he called it nitpicking. So the audience goes from not being intelligent enough to understand it to having it be frown upon when you think too much about it and I will admit the only episode I watched was Guilty. POI used to be about chatting it up over the smallest things because it was fun and no one put you down for it. Now people think that they are better than you because they kiss the showrunner's asses. If you like the episode, fine but don't bash people who have problems. That's why this fandom is at odds with each other in forums and FB. Ridiculous and sad._

* * *

Chapter 3 - Face to Face

It had already been an interesting morning before Joss took her brief walk to the café about three blocks from her home. About a week ago, Snow had confronted her about how Reese could have possibly escaped from them in the snow. She lied, of course, and knew that she would be monitored closely by Snow and Evans after that. They knew what happened but didn't have the stones to confront her outright so they continued to watch her from their surveillance van in hopes of catching her conspiring with John.

Today, Mark had sent an operative to tail her. He was pretty bad at it if she could be honest. The man was so obvious that even a regular pedestrian could tell something was up.

What had brought her out of her home on her day off was simple. John had called her last night, asking to meet with her. It had been almost two weeks since she had taken Snow to him, since they spent that time alone together in the cabin. He had contacted her through her home phone, assuring her that it couldn't be traced when she had asked if it was safe for him to call her. She had felt an immense amount of relief at the sound of his voice; Joss wondered if he was alright.

Their conversation lasted for about thirty seconds but his deep, husky voice stayed with her until she went to sleep. To feel something so strongly for a stranger was unbelievable. She didn't even know what John really looked like; he was hidden behind a mask during both of their previous encounters. Before hanging up, he had promised her that there would be no more masks, no more hiding when he met her at the café.

Joss easily lost her tail by entering the busy lobby of a nearby hotel. She slipped through the backdoor when she was sure that the man had lost her in the crowd and continued to make her way to the café. Occasionally looking behind her to be certain that the coast was clear, Joss entered the café a few minutes later. Thankful for the reprieve from the cold air outside, she took an empty seat near the middle of the restaurant.

It didn't take long for a waitress to ask what she would like. Joss asked for just a coffee, since her nerves made it impossible to eat anything. What had she been nervous about? Surprisingly he didn't sound angry with her over the phone but that didn't mean that he was exactly in a good mood. Joss knew if she had taken bullets from a sniper to the gut and leg, she wouldn't exactly be in the best of moods either.

Her coffee was brought to the table a short time later as she continued to eye the entrance. Every time a man matching John's description would enter, her heart sped up in anticipation before disappointment would set in when she saw it wasn't him. Her finger began slowly tracing the edge of the porcelain cup as more people came in. Joss's thoughts wandered, hoping that John didn't have a change of heart about seeing her. Then the hair on the back of her neck stood up.

* * *

John needed to make sure he looked as best as he could. Today he would finally meet the beautiful Detective that had haunted his dreams for months now. Finch had given him a high rise apartment when they first started working together. Thankfully, because of Joss's quick thinking, it didn't take long for him to recover from his injures here. Searching his collection of dress shirts, John picked out the purple one. There was no number today so he didn't want to meet Joss as the Man in a Suit.

Snow had been a relentless bastard. After their confrontation in the woods, John saw that he began tailing Joss the next day and grew angry that Snow was hell bent on pinning his escape on her. John did worry over whether or not Joss would be able to take care of herself but then John remembered her list of credentials and the way she handled herself when she herself became a number. She had carried herself well, with confidence, even at the Masquerade Ball when she would have been most out of her element.

Finch, of course, had been suspicious of Joss and wondered if it was wise to speak to her directly after she had set him up. John brushed off Finch's concerns, understanding that Snow was behind her decision, influencing her to get to him.

Satisfied with his appearance, John threw on his thick coat before leaving the apartment. He began staying here once he began working with Finch. This was the first real place that he felt was some semblance of a home, not like those run down hotel rooms whose sole purpose for him were to pass out drunk on the rundown bed.

Thanks to blue jacking Joss's phone, John knew exactly where she was and felt elation when he followed a good distance behind her towards the direction of the café. He was about to intervene when he saw Snow's agent follow behind her until they entered a nearby building. It was quite the amusing sight to see that Joss had managed to ditch the large man with ease and how he began to panic because he had underestimated her. She could hold her ground, no doubt.

John wasn't in the mood to have Snow and his boys ruining his morning breakfast with Joss; so when the agent went out the backdoor, John followed, relieved him of his pistol and quickly disposed of him into the nearby trash bin. Snow knew he was in New York now so John would just have to teach him a lesson about disrespecting Joss. Snow's cronies looked like they would be the unfortunate victims of that wrath. The GPS on John's phone showed him that Joss had already made it to the café and he didn't want to make her wait any longer than she had to.

The agent's groans fell on deaf ears as John blended into the busy crowd of business people starting their morning. His heart sped up as he got closer to the diner, anticipation growing for their first face to face meeting. Before leaving the library, Finch assured him that he would not be listening but he proposed that John sever all ties with Joss after the shooting. John's mind was telling him the same thing, not to associate with someone who could easily turn against him.

His heart however, couldn't turn a blind eye to the woman that had given him a reason to live before Finch's second proposal. John had already forgiven her for that night in the forest, knowing exactly what Snow did and angry that he took advantage of her. Throughout the night in the cabin, Joss had had a look of regret and fear that he was going to die because of her. John had admired her beauty while she slept as he made arrangements to help her get home. He had felt terrible for abandoning her but he needed to let Finch know what had happened. Of course John was glad that Joss was safe and sound when he called her to arrange the meeting.

John smiled at the upbeat environment as he entered Lyrics Diner. Waitresses were in full swing getting orders together so that patrons could eat and be on their way. John had entered a side door, knowing that Joss's attention would be towards the entrance. He smiled to himself when he spotted her, back to him as she played with her coffee cup. It was good to know that he wasn't the only one anxious. Tired of just observing her, John approached the table.

* * *

"Your coffee is getting cold Detective" John pointed out once he was within earshot. Joss's back stiffened when she heard the familiar voice. When she looked up, the first thing she noticed were his stunning blue eyes, the same eyes that haunted her ever since she almost got him killed.

John slid by the table to take the seat across from her. "Nice suit" Joss commented with a smirk. "I wanted to get you a 'sorry I got you shot' card but they were all out." Her fingers were once again tracing the rim of her cup. Joss wasn't ready to look him square in the eye yet as she continue. "I didn't know what Snow was planning, that he would try to kill you."

All he did was smile. "I'm glad that you took me up on my invitation Joss."

"How are you doing?" A waitress came by and John ordered a coffee.

"I could be worse but I've been recovering nicely, in part thanks to your quick thinking." John watched her closely as a range of emotions flashed across her face. He knew that she felt undeserving of his forgiveness because she had almost gotten him killed. "I also couldn't help but notice that you've had some unwanted visitors since our last meeting." The waitress came with his coffee and John took a long sip as he waited for her answer while monitoring their surroundings.

Joss chuckled. "So you've noticed that I've gotten more popular with your friends huh? It's not like Snow will get off my back. He knows that I had helped you. I needed to ditch his tail just so I could meet you here."

"I have to compliment you for that. Those CIA boys train a long time to be invisible."

"If that's the best they got, they need more training." They both shared a laugh and the tension between them began to lift. If felt to Joss as if she was just getting reacquainted with an old friend. She studied John's face, the feature that she had been denied seeing for so long. Despite the fact he was middle-age; the years had been kind to him. His skin was smooth with sharp cheekbones. Those eyes of his were so beautiful and they appeared to light up when he laughed. His hair had a mixture of what could only be described as salt and pepper colors that added to his charm. Joss thought to herself that it was well worth the wait to finally meet the Man in the Suit face to face.

John was enjoying her company but he noticed that Joss was restless. He knew that she was still nervous about Snow finding them together. All he wanted to do was get to know her better but he couldn't do that here out in the open. "Joss, come with me" It was more of a statement, rather than a question. Almost invisible, he saw the van that had been following her just outside the diner.

Of course she was caught off guard. "W-what? Excuse me but I won't go anywhere with you." As shallow as it was, her fears were telling her that he could be leading her into a trap in retaliation.

"Detective, if I was really going to lure you into a trap, I wouldn't point out that our mutual friends are waiting for us to walk out the front door." John saw hurt flash across her face, remembering her mistake in trusting Snow again. He had to convince her somehow that she wasn't at fault for what happened and that he had already forgiven her.

Joss knew that she wasn't done talking to him yet. She needed to get answers but not here when there were so many eyes on them. When John mentioned Snow outside, her heart dropped because she knew he was telling the truth and she was ashamed for thinking ill of him. "Okay, what do we do?" She knew that she was going to follow him, there was no point in wasting any more time.

"Follow me" without waiting, John grabbed her hand and led her away from the table after paying for the coffee. Instead of heading out the front door as expected, he led Joss to the rear of the long counter that left up to allowed staff access to the kitchen. When the coast was clear, the two slipped into the back area. "There's a door back here we can use so Snow doesn't see us."

Still holding his hand, Joss gave it a small squeeze as the memory of their dance came back to her. The way he held her now was the same back then, with such tenderness and care. "How do you know that?"

As they passed a shelf of food, John looked back to her. "I did a bit of recon before choosing this place to meet you just in case we needed to make a quick exit." After passing through the pantry, they reached a metal door. John opened it to the cold New York air, smiling at Joss who began looking left and right in the back alley they were now in.

"Okay so now what? I can't exactly go home and today is my day off."

"I have a place not too far from here."

Joss eyed him. "Should I ask how?"

"I tell you later. For now, let's get to someplace more private before our friends find us. I don't know about you, but I'm not exactly in the mood to wear a black hood today." Truthfully John was more worried for her than himself. He didn't want Snow to lay a finger on her.

"Right." John then began walking up the alleyway with Joss following close behind.

* * *

The wooden door opened with a push of John's hand. He was pushed against the threshold so that Joss would be allowed to go ahead of him. "Home sweet home" he announced.

"Very funny" she said before entering the expansive apartment. "Nice place."

"Thanks." John closed and locked the door behind him before taking off his coat. He then offered to take hers. After giving it to him, Joss walked around the small apartment. It was quaint, with all of the essentials one would need. There was also a sort of charm to it. Maybe it was because Joss remembered that John was homeless when they first met.

"So who has been helping you with all of this?" She then turned her attention to John who was turning on the heat to warm the apartment.

John just shrugged his shoulders. "Let's just say someone found me after you interrogated me."

"Uh huh." When he didn't continue, Joss sighed. "Okay, I'll let you off this time but don't think that I won't stop asking."

John approached her with a smirk on his face. "I wouldn't think otherwise and I will answer to the best of my ability next time." Placing a hand on the lower part of her back, John directed her to the living area. He felt her stiffen briefly before relaxing under his touch. John was glad that Joss was still comfortable around him. She took a seat on the long couch that sat in front of a television and stereo system. "I didn't get the chance to tell you this early but I'm surprised that you didn't come armed." Seeing her now in casual wear, John loved seeing how relaxed she was.

"There is no reason to. You already showed me that I could trust you. Snow's guys wouldn't try anything funny in broad daylight. I knew they were just trying to intimidate me." Joss's head fell to the back of the couch.

"What would you like to drink?" He was already heading towards the kitchen.

"Whatever juice you have will be fine." Joss was growing anxious. She couldn't help it. John hadn't so much as raised his voice at her since meeting in the diner. Even if they had to be discreet, if she was in John's position, she would have had a few choice words for the person that almost got her killed. Instead, he was nothing but kind to her and it wasn't to lure her into a false sense of security. It still begged the question from Joss. Why wasn't he angrier with her?

There was the sound of glasses bumping into each other before Joss saw him opening up a drawer. Some of the kitchen was hidden from view thanks to the partition so she didn't know what John was looking for. Joss's thoughts continued to mock her for her actions. Maybe she didn't deserve to be a cop. No matter what the person did, she was suppose to protect them until they could face justice.

A few minutes later, John returned with her drink and a sandwich. He stopped in his tracks at the far away look in her eyes and the sad expression that marred her beautiful face. John also saw the guilt and knew she still hadn't forgiven herself. He put everything on the coffee table before taking a seat next to her. "What's the matter, Joss?"

She shook her head before speaking. "I just keep thinking that I shouldn't be a detective anymore. What I did to you was unforgivable and even if you got over it, the same can't be said for me." Joss then looked him right in the eye before putting a hand to her chest. It was the same place where the two bullets lodged in her vest. "You took the burden of killing someone to protect me. My son didn't lose his mother because you were somehow at the right place at the right time."

"I owed you for helping me find my footing again. Here," John pulled the items closer to her.

Joss looked strangely at the sandwich. "You didn't have to do that."

"My treat." He was glad when she began eating. John knew that the questions would be coming soon and he would welcome them. The sandwich was simple but Joss welcomed the gesture all the same. His presence calmed her down.

John knew exactly what to say to help her understand that he wouldn't hold a grudge. "I've done quite a lot of bad things that I should never forgive myself for and I did them willingly."

Joss placed her half eaten sandwich on the plate and turned her body towards him, examining him closely before speaking. "You mean when you were in the CIA?" When John nodded his head, she was reminded of the state he was in when they first met. He looked like he had given up on everything and was ready to slowly fade away into obscurity. "So what happened to you that made you fall on hard times like that?"

John wouldn't tell her about Jessica, not yet. "The CIA recruited me a short time after I rejoined the army. That was around the time the towers fell. Snow, the man that found me initially, told me that I would be serving my country and that my skills were needed. I was stunned but of course I accepted."

"Of course." Joss understood all to well that those special opportunities don't come around easily. A missed chance could equal years of regret.

"On my first mission, I was assigned to my partner. Her name was Kara Stanton. When I saw how ruthless she was, I knew that I had made a terrible mistake. There was no escaping it because they had let me into their inner circle and the only way out was to kill me. There were people that I knew had to be innocent but I couldn't do anything but follow orders." John sighed sadly as Joss continued to look on. "One day, Kara and I were sent to Ordos. Before we left, Snow had ordered me to retire her because she couldn't be trusted. I couldn't do it of course. Even thought I hated her for being as heartless as she was, I couldn't pull the trigger. She, on the other hand, was quick to clip me in the stomach and explained that she was told to retire me because I couldn't be trusted. We had been where we thought was a pick up point for us and she had laid some lights on the heli pad. After what happened, we both realized what was about to happen. I managed to escape the explosion, Kara died that day. Figuring that the agency thought I perished too, I went underground and managed to stay off their radar."

"Until I ran your prints." His story was amazing and terrifying. "John, I'm sorry…" He held up his hand to silence her.

"No more apologies Joss." He then smiled that beautiful smile that sent a small flutter to Joss's stomach. "I'm glad that I fought those guys on the subway because I was brought to you. Even though you may not think it Joss, you helped me. I wouldn't have met my employer if you hadn't hassled me for so long."

"It was an interrogation" Joss pointed out. She was happy that she was able to help him in a small way, even if she did make a promise to put him behind bars a short time later. She scoffed to herself. "To think that we went from that to our cat and mouse game."

John chuckled before growing serious again. "Joss, the reason why I told you that is because I am a bad person but only because of Snow. You only did your job. If he hadn't convinced you, he would have used other methods because whether he liked it or not, you were his only lead. Now he's using intimidation to scare you because he knows you helped me." Without warning, he took her hand. "You have nothing to be ashamed of because even though you feel like you betrayed me, you've more than made up for it. That's why I can easily forgive you."

Joss was speechless as John went back into the kitchen. After hearing his words, it felt like a huge weight had finally been lifted from her shoulders. She took a sip of her drink when he came back and she noticed that he was holding something in his hand. "What's that?"

John stood in front of her and opened his hand, revealing a flip cell phone. Joss put down her drink as she looked at him strangely.

"It's a sign of good faith. I want you to work with us." John thought it was good as time as any to present the offer. As she went to pick up the phone, their fingers brushed up against each other. Joss felt the same sparks she had felt when they danced together and it sent chills up and down her spine.

She examined the phone a moment before looking back up at him. "Doing what exactly?"

"You would be helping people that might be in danger."

"But how do you know who the victim is before anything happens? Where are you getting all of this information?"

John sighed before sitting back down. He wanted to tell her but Finch had warned him when their work began that this job could cost them their lives because of what they knew. He couldn't put that kind of burden on Joss; she had a life, a son she needed to be there for. "All I can tell you is that we have a reliable source."

"And your employer? I doubt that he's a big fan of mine after I almost got you killed." Joss had to remind him of her not so proudest moment.

"He wasn't exactly on board with this at first. The fact is that I called you because I wanted to make sure you were okay and present the offer. It's perfectly okay if you don't want to work with me. It's not exactly a legal career choice."

Joss waited a beat before speaking up. "Okay, I'll do it." John's expression changed to that of shock. "What? It's not like you are going to get me in too much trouble right? Besides, you've been more than efficient in taking bad guys off the street. Vigilantism is something that I always hated; I don't like someone else thinking they can play God. But there is something different about you John. You aren't doing this because you can get away with it. I saw it in your eyes before. There is a kindness in your heart and all you want to do is help other people."

John looked away from her. "I'm just trying to atone for all of my sins." After he collected himself, he looked back at her. "But are you sure? You answered pretty quickly. I'm really just going to need your help getting information that my employer can't. I would never ask you to go out into the field unless absolutely necessary." John had to be sure that Joss understood exactly what she was getting into. The last thing he wanted to do was pressure her into something she didn't want to do.

She nodded her head. "I want to help people too. That's why I became a cop. Just don't make my job too much harder, okay?"

"I can't make any promises but I'll try to at least keep the kneecapping to a minimum." It was because of her that he had changed. He had taken Stills's life without batting an eye. A few hours later, John had experienced regrets because of how she would feel if she found out exactly how heartless he could be. That's why after that night, he had sworn to not take another life unless it was to protect another, just like he had done with BottleCap. There was no hesitation when he had seen the man Joss had taken care of standing over her with a pistol pointed straight at her. If he had gotten there a few seconds too late, she would have been dead.

John looked at the clock on the far wall and knew that he had taken up enough of Joss's time. Besides, Finch was probably going nuts trying to get in touch with him since John had turned off his phone when he left this morning to go meet with her. He wanted to be alone with her. "You probably have things to do so I should take you home." Joss gave him a look and he quickly added "We can't be sure that Snow's guys have stopped following you."

"You have a point." Joss grabbed her jacket, but she found herself reluctant to leave. After putting it on, John escorted her to the door, allowing her to go through first before locking the door behind them.

Snow must have taken the hint from John handling his guy earlier because when John scanned the streets because there was no sign of the surveillance van. The walk back to Joss's home was quiet but neither of them minded. It was a few minutes later before the two of them found themselves at the steps of her brownstone apartment. Joss went up to the door before turning around to face him. She urged him to follow her inside as she opened the outer door.

Inside, they had privacy as Joss approached the front door of her apartment. Again, she turned around to look at John. Her hand went into her coat pocket and felt the cell phone inside. They had taken the next step in this very unusual relationship. "Thanks for everything. Not just for helping me out back there, but for being so forgiving."

John took a step closer. "Like I said before, you didn't do anything wrong. You are a great cop and have instincts that not many others possess. Don't take that for granted just because Snow took advantage of you." Joss nodded her head, understanding that John wanted to make sure that she didn't have any lingering doubts about herself. She also saw his reluctance to leave and it made her happy because she felt the same. "See you later Joss." Sharing one last smile, John made his way to the door of the building as she opened her door and went inside.

Walking down the steps, John took one last look at the brownstone apartment before making his way home. Seconds passed before his earwig vibrated and he through answered the call. "Hello Harold" he greeted cheerfully.

"I take it that your meeting with Detective Carter went well Mr. Reese? I was growing concerned when I couldn't reach you."

"Everything is fine Finch. She agreed to work with me." John smiled at her quick acceptance of his offer.

"Do you really think that is a good idea after everything that has happened? If you don't let others know about the Machine, I don't have any problems with you obtaining assets but I still feel leery of her."

John knew it was going to take a bit more time to convince Finch that Joss was a good addition to the team, but he didn't mind. "Don't worry. She's worth the trouble." He assured his employer with a smile as he blended into the nearby crowd.

* * *

Post A/N: Sorry about that rant at the beginning. I wanted to thank SWWoman for tricking me into doing this chapter and doing the beta. I still like that Carter ponytail in S2. Seriously though, much love. This is the conclusion of this tale and I hope you all enjoyed it.


End file.
